Rail-joint.



PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES T. BUCK, OF WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed December 14,1906. Serial No. 347,869.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. BUCK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Waukegan, in the county ofv Lake and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of whichthe following is a specification. I

This invention lis designed to provide a rail joint which will be freefrom the usual bolts and fish plates and which will obviate relativeplay of the ends of adjacent rails which in practice produces thepounding which is injurious to rolling stock and annoying to passengers.

For a full description of the 'invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowldege of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings,

While the invention may be adapted to different forms and conditions bychanges in the structure and minor details without departing from thespirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment isshown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a rail joint embodying the invention.Fig. 2-is a side view of the joint, a

Vportion of the near side of the end of each rail being broken away toshow the key and the parts coperating therewith, the full lines showingthe normal position of the parts and the dotted lines indicating theposition of adjacent ends referred to to release the key. Fig. 3 is atransverse section on the line xix of Fig. l showing a supporting platebeneath the joint and forming a rest therefor. Fig. 4 is a detailperspective view of a catch secured within the end portion of each railfor coperation with the key.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the A followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

In accordance with this invention, the end of each rail is provided withan opening 1 which may extend therein for any given distance, saidopening preferably extending through the foot of the rail, although thisis not essential. The opening l may be provided in any manner accordingto the manufacture of the rail. At the inner end of the opening isarranged a shoulder 2 which is inclined, said shoulder being locatedsome distance from the plane of the foot of the rail and from saidshoulder inclined walls 3 and 4 extend in opposite directions. The wall3 inclines upwardly and inwardly, whereas the wall 4 inclines outwardlyand downwardly. The shoulder 2 and inclined walls 3 and 4 may beprovided in any manner and may form a part of the rail or constituteelements of a block separate from the rail and secured thereto byrivets, or other suitable fastenings. In the preferable construction,the catch, or block 5 is constructed separately from the rail and isplaced in position in the opening l and secured by rivets or fastenings6 passed through registered openings in the part 5 and in the sides ofthe rail end embracing the said block 5. The ends of each rail aresimilarly formed, hence it makes no difference which ends are -abuttedwhen placing the rails in position. f

The key 7 consists of aiplate corresponding in thickness to the depthand Width of an opening l and approximating in length the combinedlength of openings 1 in adjacent rail ends. The upper edges of the key 7slope for a distance from the ends of the extremities of the key asindicated at 8. The lower edge of the key near each end corresponds tothe outline of the shoulder 2 and the inclined walls 3 and 4 so as tosnugly fit the same when the key is in proper position and locks theends of adjacent rails. A space 9 is formed between the upper inclinededge 8 at each end of the key and the upper wall of the opening l, andthis space represents the relative play of the end portions of the keyand permits sufficient movement of the parts to enable the end portionsof the key to become disengaged from the shoulders 2. The key 7 may beplaced in position in any convenient Way and when properly positioned,its end portions interlock with the shoulders 2 and thereby preventlongitudinal displacement of the rail. Inasmuch as the key7 touches atits sides the inner walls of the openings l, it is obvious that the endsof the rails are prevented from transverse displacement and are held intrue alinement. When the joint is supported by means of a plate l0 whichforms a rest therefor, perpendicular pressure upon the joint, asresulting from the passage of a train thereover, will prevent relativevertical movement of the ends of the rails since the vertical pressurewill be distributed upon both ends bordering upon the joint by means ofthe key, the.

plate l0 sustaining the downward pressure imposed upon both the rail andthe key. When it is required from any cause to loosen the joint, theends of the rails are pried upward as indicated by the dotted lines inFig. 2, and since the two rails and the key turn upon different fulcra,the shouldered ends of the key are disengaged from the shoulders 2 ofthe rail ends, thereby permitting separation of the parts. The key 7being of metal and in metallic connection with the ends of adjacentrails, constitutes a tie, thereby enabling the rail to be used as anelectric conductor without necessitating bonding of the same at thejoints as is now commonly practiced, and as a result, the constructionof electric lines is materially cheapened by a joint constructed inaccordance with this invention.

While as stated herein, it is preferredA to form the block 5 separatefrom the rail and attach the same thereto, nevertheless, it is to beunderstood that in some instances, it may be advantageous to form theblock 5 with the rail as a part thereof. This construction obviates theformation of joints and the necessity of employing iastenings7 such asrivets or bolts 6.

The interlocking shoulders between the key 7 and the parts 5 areobservable through openings 1l formed in a side wall of the rail endsbordering upon the opening l and which openings are adapted to be closedby plugs l2. rlhe openings ll are located opposite to the interlockingshoulders and upon removal of the plugs l2, the condition of the lockjoints may be determined.

To secure the rail in case oi contraction, or expansion, thin strips ofrubber, or coi-k` are applied to each side oi the key aboutthree-quarters oi an inch from the top and bottom and extend parallelwith the length oi the key, said strips being secured to the key in anyway found most advantageous.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. In a rail joint, the combination of rails having openings extendinginward from their ends and provided with shoulders near the inner ends'of the openings, and a key having' end portions normally fitted in theopenings of the ends of adjacent rails and provided with shoulders tointerlock with the aforesaid shoulders of the rails, a space beingprovided between the upper edge of the key and the upper wall of theopening at each end of the key to admit of loosening the joint by pryingupward upon the contiguous ends of adjacent rails.

2. In a rail joint, the combination of rails having openings extendedinward from their ends and having shoulders near the inner ends of saidopenings and inclined walls adjacent to the shoulders and extendingtherefrom in opposite directions, the one inward and upward, the otherdownward and outward, and a key having the upper edge near 'eacli endsloped, or inclined, and having shoulders upon its lower edge nearopposite ends, and inclined edges extended from said shoulders, theshoulders and inclined edges of the key matching the shoulders andinclined walls near the inner ends of the openings of the said rail endsand the upper inclined edges of the key forming spaces with the Vupperwalls of the openings of the rail ends to permit of loosening of thejoint upon prying the saine upward.

3. ln n rail joint, the combination of a i'ail having an opening in itsend, a block secured within the opening of the rail and having its upperedge inclined to provide a shoulder and inclined walls, and a keyadapted to be inserted in the opening in the end of the rail and havingits upper edge inclined and its lower edge corresponding to the upperedge of the aforesaid block.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES T. BUCK. [L. S.]

Witnesses: Y

J. S. BULLMAN, 'CONRAD HoLLsTniN.

